In Uttarakhand’s Atali, a railway project & a sinking feeling

More and more villages and towns are bearing the brunt of rampant construction in Uttarakhand. The latest to join the group is Atali village near Rishikesh, where at least 80 buildings have developed cracks due to land subsidence and sliding.

Residential houses, shops and government buildings have developed wide cracks in Atali village, which is situated on a hillock in Tehri Garhwal district – nearly 35 km away from Rishikesh city.

Locals blame the construction of tunnels being constructed down the village hillock for the Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway line, for subsidence and sliding of rock plates.

Govind Singh, a resident of Atali, says, “My house shakes for minutes whenever any blast is done for the construction of the railway tunnel. These blasts happen even at night, forcing villagers to come out of their houses and spend the night with their children in the dark and cold.”

Another villager says buildings in the village started developing cracks in walls and the foundation two years back.

“The administration has turned a deaf ear to our plights. We are in extreme fear and are not able to eat or sleep properly due to the fear of losing our home,” he says.

Besides Atali, people in nearby Gular, Vyasi, Kaudiyala and Maletha villages are also affected by the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line project and have been demanding rehabilitation.

However, the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) – the agency which is constructing the railway line – has denied any link between land subsiding and its project in the tow.

On its part, the local administration has held a meeting with the affected families, but villagers lament the absence of any concrete step to address their concerns.

Political parties in Opposition have naturally jumped in support of their affected villages.

“Such cracks are appearing in the entire state. Destruction is taking place in name of development. Various laws including the disaster management act was also undermined while sanctioning these construction works. Uncontrolled blasting is taking place,” said Uttarakhand Congress president Karan Mahara.

Besides the crisis triggered by land subsidence in Joshimath, towns like Nainital, Mussoorie, Uttarkashi, and Karnaprayag have reported cracks in walls, agriculture fields and hills in the state.

The government has evacuated hundreds of people from Joshimath, the Himalayan town which serves as the gateway to the popular Badrinath shrine.